Project A-Ko Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Vampire Hunter (Darkstalkers) Fan Fiction ❯ Nabiki 1/2 (A Very Scary Thought) ❯ Blood Sisters... ( Chapter 113 )

Nabiki 1/2

(A Very Scary Thought)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

Based Upon the Altered Destinies Storyline

Inspired by the works of such fans as

Wade Tritshler

Richard Lawson

James Jones

And Many Others

Standard Disclaimer: This is inspired by the work of Takahashi Rumiko and is not my original creation. All characters belong to her. This is only a fanfictional work, and is not intended to compromise the rights of the original owners, distributors and publishers of the Ranma series. I have no money to spare and would very much appreciate if no one tries to sue me.

"Doctor Tofu-sensei…how good of you to come on such short notice," Tatewaki Kuno said by way of greeting as he looked up from where he knelt over the prone body of Natsume.

"Well then, what seems to be the problem?" Tofu asked, deliberately avoiding looking directly at Kasumi as he was trying to get the hang of his "shyness" problem, which cropped up whenever he was around her for any great interval.

"Oh, Tofu-sensei, it's my sister," Kasumi indicated, "She was acting so peculiarly, and then she fainted, and we had to call for you to learn what might be the problem."

"Natsume-san?" Tofu remarked as he gazed down at the mahogany haired adopted daughter of Soun Tendo, kneeling down on the side opposite to Tatewaki and reflexively putting a palm to her forehead, "How odd…I don't believe I've ever had to treat you before, young lady. Usually it's either Ranma, Akane or Nabiki who get into fights and need medical attention."

"I'm not sick, Doctor," Natsume said, "I simple felt…a passing phase…odd cramps, but they seem to be easing now. There was hardly any need to concern you."

"Well, I'm here now," Tofu said pragmatically, "So I might as well heck you over to make sure nothing serious was causing you pain just now. After all, I've never had the chance to examine either you or your sister up until now, and I think it's a splendid opportunity to get started."

Natsume tried to conceal the irritation that she felt over being the center of attention. She was the independent type, and Tofu well knew that this would make her a difficult patient to have to diagnose, but he was confident enough of his own people skills to be able to overcome her reluctance, provided that she knew what was best for herself and did not put up an argument to dissuade anyone from thinking anything was the matter. He knew another Tendo who had taken that particular attitude, and by the time they finally had diagnosed her problem it was far too late to do anything about it, a mistake Tofu was determined never to repeat again, especially within the Tendo family.

Fortunately it was Tatewaki's concern that carried the day as he said simply, "Natsume-chan might deny that anything is wrong with her, and far be it from me to contradict you, my love, but a moment ago you went off in a blind rage and attacked a guest, then said some very strange things about your older sister and only managed to calm down with some effort. It would be for the best if we discovered the cause of your uncharacteristic outburst before there is another relapse…does that not make sense to you?"

Natsume bit her lip and frowned as she thought that over, but at last she relented to say, "Very well…but I still maintain that I do not require an examination."

"Well, I'll try and make this as informal as I can, Miss Tendo," Tofu smiled, using the formal term of address to put things on a properly professional level, "That is, unless you have classes to teach this afternoon in the dojo?"

"It's not a school day, Doctor," Natsume Tendo informed him, "And I feel just fine now. Tachi-chan is worried over nothing."

"That may be as it will, my love," Tatewaki replied, "But better to err on the side of caution than to regret an incautious lack of prudence. You collapsed after behaving oddly towards a friend of your sister, and you've been complaining of odd cramps for the better part of an hour, so am I to be found in fault for wanting to insure your health? Then let me be at fault, because your welfare is paramount to me beyond my own life and bearing."

In spite of her annoyance at being treated like some fragile piece of porcelain, Natsume could not help but feel touched that a boy as handsome, dashing, charming and considerate as Tatewaki would full over her this way, being altogether a new experience for her since most boys tended to get out of her way when she looked at them crossly. Not so the elder scion of the house of Kuno, who was not only rich and well mannered but had the nicest tush of any boy she personally become acquainted with, and with the doctor being a charming sort Tatewaki knew that the man would soon have his lady love at ease for her examination.

"Well then," Tofu remarked, "Let's set you down and have a look at you young lady. I don't believe I've ever had the privilege of examining you before..."

"There has never been a need," Natsume replied, "I am never sick and I rarely take injury, and I heal very quickly, which appears to be a common trait in my family..."

"Yes," Tofu could not help smiling as he remembered the number of times both Akane and Ranma had been visiting his clinic, usually after some scrape they both had gotten into from the time they both were very small children. Aloud what he said, in more professional tones, was, "So...when was the last time you've ever had a check up?"

"I...cannot recall," Natsume hesitated as she sat down upon the examination table, "I believe it was in the orphanage when Kurumi and I were very little..."

"But not since then?" Tofu blinked, surprise written plain on his kindly features.

"I am afraid...no," Natsume shook her head, "As I explained to you, there's never been a need..."

"You mean to say you've never seen a doctor until now?" Tofu allowed his astonishment to register, "Not even for a hangnail?"

"Not even for that, I am afraid," Natsume smiled a bit ironically, "Although Kurumi has been injured often enough during training, but never for very long and with her metabolism she heals back even faster than I do..."

"My love," Tatewaki remarked, "That is most passing odd. You are certain that you have never known a day of ill health?"

"Why?" Natsume looked at her boyfriend coyly, "Were you hoping to nurse me back from sickness? That is very sweet of you, Tachi-chan, but not necessary. I have always been able to look after myself, and with Kurumi depending upon me for support I have had to be strong for the both of us. It was not always easy, living by our wits, but we managed to get by until finding our home with Father. After all, not all of us have the privilege of growing up in a mansion."

"Yes...well..." Tatewaki glanced away, supremely embarrassed at how the subject of his family fortune should come up at a time like this when he was hoping to establish a more serious dialogue concerning a future he hoped that he would be sharing with his one true intended.

"Well then," Tofu said cheerfully, "This is will be a new experience for the both of us. I'm sure your father will want to know that you're in the best of health, so I'll give you a free examination, along with a full diagnostic. This will help me to determine baseline what to expect from you in the future since, with your family's history, you never know..."

"I...suppose that does make sense," Natsume paused before adding, "Does this mean that I should...disrobe for you?"

"That usually works the best when conducting an examination," Tofu reassured her, "But don't worry, I see lots of naked women every day on this job and I'm pretty much used to it. Not that every patient who comes in here is as pretty as you, of course..."

Kasumi spoke up just then to say, "Perhaps it would be best if you go upstairs to your room, Sister, and allow Doctor Tofu to examine you there."

"Very well," Natsume sighed as she got to her feet with only a token assist from Tatewaki, whom she then smiled at and said, "I would not mind if you wish to accompany to my private personal chambers, Tachi-sama, but as that might intrude upon Tofu-Sensei's diagnosis…"

"Er…yes, I will...wait right outside," Tatewaki remarked a bit tightly, "Eagerly awaiting the results of your...examination."

"Tachi-chan," Natsume said gently, "You don't have to go. I wouldn't mind if you...wanted to stay a bit longer and...watch."

Tatewaki would have sworn his heart was thundering like a drum in his chest and suddenly his mouth was quite dry, his throat almost too thick to swallow as he tried to do so nonetheless, steeling what nerve he had to say, "That...would not be proper for a gentleman...and you deserve more respect than this, Natsume-chan. There will be a time and a place, but...just not yet..." he managed to get out with some effort.

Once again Natsume was touched by her boyfriend's gallantry and smiled almost painfully at him before responding, "Nonetheless...the offer stands, any other time you might wish to...examine me for yourself."

"I...will be mindful of this...my love," Tatewaki responded without looking at the beautiful girl giving him the heartfelt entreaty, and he walked with a noted stiffness out of the room before pausing in the hallway, uttering a sigh before sagging against the nearest wall at hand.

Natsume could only sigh in sympathy for the young man's torment, feeling an aching need of her own to get to know him on more intimate terms. During the months of their close association they had grown very close indeed, so close now that she wondered why neither one of them had taken the next big step, and why they continued to do this little dance together where flirting took the form of off-hand remarks and double entendres, albeit never so overt as her bold statement of just now. She wanted him with a certainty that had nothing to do with his wealth or privilege, even if she had longed for such luxuries all of her young life and would welcome the chance to become Mrs. Kuno...should he ever ask her.

Instead she went up the stairs to the room that she shared with Akane and Kurumi, ushered Tofu in, shut the door and tried not to think about the implications of admitting a strange bachelor to her private residence. In point of fact the room actually belonged to Akane, which was why there was a sumptuous goose down bed dominating the center, a luxury that Natsume usually disdained but did not refuse to her sister, especially since Karumi loved the feel of it and sometimes sacked out there when Akane was absent (as was presently the case since their sister's inexplicable disappearance of a few days back). To Natsume the thing represented a level of decadence that threatened to tempt one by its very air of implied sensualism, and to Natsume's mind such an indulgence could weaken the resolve of even the most well tempered martial artist. The fact that there were beds even more opulent and luxurious than this at the Kuno mansion hardly affected her thinking on this matter in the least since her beloved Lord Kuno himself disdained their softness and preferred the hardness of a futon as the only proper bed for a warrior, thinking that matched Natsume's own views on the matter completely.

Stealing herself to endure what was to follow, Natsume turned to the doctor with an uneasy admission, "I have never...disrobed before a man before."

"There's a first time for everyone," Tofu said calmly, "But if it will make you feel any better, then I could step out of the room while you change, then you can put on a towel about your body to project your modesty. It won't interfere with the examination process."

"Thank you, but I have never been one for half-measures," Natsume replied, standing up once more and willing herself to be calm as she undid the sash around her waist, then methodically stripped herself down until she was completely naked, her well-worn traveling clothes having fallen about her ankles. She then sat back down upon the bed used by Akane and looked at the doctor with practiced calm, almost daring him to make a point about her lack of modesty, though in truth for her this was unusually brazen behavior.

Tofu just nodded in acceptance and said, "Well, Tatewaki is a fine young man, and I can see that he'll have a very fine bride in you, young lady. But what say we make sure that he'll be getting a woman in the perfect picture of health, which you do appear to be," he studied her critically then laid gentle fingers to her shoulder and started to move around as though to examine her like a fine statue...only to pause when his eyes fell upon the single blemish that marred her almost perfect skin complexion.

Tofu's attitude underwent a drastic change as he stared at the tine dark patch of skin that he located behind a shoulderblade, smaller than coin-sized yet shaped in an unusual pattern. His eyes nearly doubled in size as his initial impression of a melanoma gave way to an entirely different realization, and so abrupt was his silence that Natsume herself sensed the change in his bearing and asked, "Is something the matter?"

"You...this mark on your back..."

"Oh that?" Natsume replied, "I've had it all my life, but only Kurumi's ever seen it. She says it looks like a tiny impression of a Phoenix..."

"Really?" Tofu said as he pursed his and gained a strangely thoughtful expression, "How…unusual. I've seen a mark like that before…in one of the books I have back at my clinic."

"You have?" Natsume asked in surprise, "What does it signify?"

"I'd…really rather not say before I do further research," Tofu responded, trying not to sound too evasive, "Why don't we put it off until later and then I'll get back to you on this, all right?"

"Er…very well," Natsume said dubiously, then stoically set her shoulders in place to endure the rest of the doctor's examination.

At last Tofu seemed satisfied, having touched Natsume in a number of areas that-while unmistakably intimate-had more than erogenous connotations and did indeed seem to be a valid part of her physical examination, then he urged her to put her clothes back on and concluded his survey by saying, "You're in excellent health, Miss Tendo, and I'm not surprised that you feel as if you won't be requiring my services in the future. However…I think it would be for the best if you stopped by my clinic later on so that I can…explain to you the significance of that mark upon your back. I think that it could go a long ways towards explaining why you had those cramps earlier. I may be able to recommend some…therapy that could help you work things out."

"Er…very well, if you think that would be for the best," Natsume said as she reached down and gathered up her clothing, then started to dress herself again with the same natural poise that she had used when undressing, concluding with a somewhat wryly voiced, "You know, this is the first time that a man has asked me to put my clothes on…"

"Oh, well, you don't need to worry about me, Miss Tendo," Tofu faintly smiled, though in truth he was feeling as if the floor was giving out from underneath him and he thought faintly to himself the words, (Oh, father…what secrets you have left me…).

"I know that, Tofu-sensei," Natsume smiled as she followed him out into the hallway, then went in search of Tatewaki, who turned a curious look her way before saying, "My love?"

"Nothing to worry about, Tachi-sama," Natsume informed him, "Tofu-Sensei merely wants to see me later in his clinic. I told you that you were worried over nothing."

"Nothing?" Tatewaki too her by the hand and gazed into her face with an entirely sober expression, "My love, you are everything to me, and there is no small part of your life that is less than of paramount concern to me, so if you are in any way to suffer, then I would suffer thrice as deeply for your sake."

"My lord…you say the nicest things sometimes," Natsume replied as she felt the warmth of his love bathe her like the sun on a warm day. But inwardly she felt faintly troubled by some shadow of foreboding, as though the strange sensations that had come over her before was but a foretaste of things to come, and somehow her older adopted sister was at the center of it all, though in what capacity she could not decide…though somehow she suspected that Tofu had at least some of the answers, for which she would be quizzing him when she did drop by much later…

Kasumi felt uneasy as she ushered Doctor Tofu out the door, then watched him as he headed for the gate, all the while thinking over what she had absently overheard about her sister, of Tofu's curiously tense expression upon exiting Natsume's room, and the earlier conversation that she had with her unexpected houseguest, Lenore…a discussion cut short by the rather explosive behavior of Natsume.

Kasumi had not meant to eavesdrop, by rights should not have been able to overhear a private conversation between a doctor and his patient conducted in a close room at the other end of the house, and yet somehow she had been able to listen in on every word that was spoken, right up to and including catching the subtle hidden nuances of speech that normally were conveyed only in a face-to-face encounter. Her hearing had become much sharper even than she had realized of late, and it seemed that she had only to focus upon a given area of the house and she could pick up every syllable with ease, a fact that in no way gave her peace of mind given all that Lenore had informed her about Kasumi becoming a Vampire.

Lenore had mentioned that enhanced senses came with the package of alterations that had been rendered upon Kasumi thanks to the blood of Dimitri that now coursed within her veins. In addition to becoming physically stronger and more adept than the average housewife, Kasumi could now sense things that were invisible to normal perceptions, and spotting the tension in Tofu's bearing had given her a surprisingly clear image of what the man might be thinking upon discovering Natsume's birthmark. Of a certainly the doctor was deeply concerned at his own discovery, but what bearing it might have upon her sister was something that Natsume was unable to fully venture.

Except that she remembered with crystal clarity Lenore having referred to Natsume as a "Slayer," which-according to Lenore-meant a special kind of "chosen" woman gifted with abilities that made them hazardous to vampires. The Slayer was supposed to be the antithesis of vampirism, some sort of natural control mechanism to keep the vampire race at bay so that their numbers did not proliferate too far and wind up threatening the dominion of ordinary humans. If so, then Natsume had been chosen to be that Slayer, in which case did this mean that she and Kasumi were now enemies? Kasumi certainly hoped that this was not the case, and not simply because of the threat that was implied to her own personal safety.

In truth Kasumi cared about her cousin-turned-adopted sister, and Natsume had lived a very hard life. She deserved the comforts of a family, and Kasumi had welcomed he into their lives with open arms and much heartfelt affection. The thought of Natsume turning against her brought an almost painful twinge to Kasumi's very being, yet the threat was obviously there, albeit much muted for the moment since Natsume had reacted unfavorably towards Lenore yet seemed perfectly all right when in the presence of Kasumi.

And what to make of Tofu's odd behavior? Kasumi had known the man since she was just a little girl, she had trusted Tofu and had always relied upon his judgement in all medical affairs, even going so far as to borrow books from him to maintain her own home private study. Tofu was a man with few dark areas and not at all prone to keeping private secrets. Oh, he did tend to clown it up a lot whenever she went near him, and for the longest time he had acted very strangely around her, but of late he seemed to have matured quite nicely, and all because she had asked him to remain serious when making a diagnosis on a rash that she had developed while working with garlic in the kitchen…

Kasumi paused, blinked her eyes and then said, "Oh my…" belatedly realizing that she might have used the power of suggestion to get Tofu to calm down the way he had, even though her intent at the time had been merely to ask him to stop trying to cheer her up with his usual antics. By telling him to leave "Betty-chan" (his favorite pet skeleton) on her hook she might have instilled in him the subtle commandment that caused him to sober up and behave like a fairly normal person. If so then Kasumi was going to have to practice a lot harder not to give people such "suggestions" as there was no telling what that sort of thing might lead to, and the very last thing she now needed was to have a group of people dancing to her every tune. That sort of nonsense might become rather more of a habit than she would like and…

The doorbell rang again, disturbing Kasumi out of her private reveries as the thought of new company helped dispel the shadows in her mind and displace them with the comforting routine of maintaining a house for her family and loved ones. She opened the door and was surprised to find their friendly neighborhood butcher, Tomada-san, standing there holding a plastic container in both hands.

"Miss Tendo?" he smiled in a friendly manner, "You asked me to set aside some blood for you and I'm here to deliver."

"Oh," Kasumi brightened up, "Why…thank you. How very nice of you to come deliver it in person, Tomada-san."

"Hey, it's my pleasure," Tomada said as he passed along the plastic tub, then added as if in afterthought, "So, you going to make something special with that to serve to your family, Tendo-san?"

"Er…yes, I do have a…rather special use for this, thank you," Kasumi replied in some reluctance, not wanting to lie to the man as she could hardly explain the full depths of her reasons, "In fact, if this works out, I may request another supply from you later. How much do I owe you for this?"

"Hey, on the house," Tomada waved the point aside, "You give me enough business that I can afford to spare it. Just take care and I'll see you the next time you care to stop by for some steaks."

"Just the same, thank you," Kasumi smiled, and without knowing it that smile became as radiant as a star, "You are a very nice man, and I hope that you have a very nice day, you and your wife…"

"Me…and…my…wife," Tomada repeated somewhat mechanically, his eyes glazing over slightly for a few seconds, then he shook it off and said, "Sure thing, I've been meaning to take her out to see a movie. Heck, I might even spring and buy her dinner. It's been ages since we last painted the town red…"

"Well then, you should give her a very special night that's worth remembering," Kasumi affirmed before adding, "Perhaps some flowers would be a nice way to begin things."

"Flowers," Tomada replied, "Special night…yes…"

"Have a nice day," Kasumi said before closing the door and heading towards the kitchen, unaware that the butcher was standing slack-jawed before the door as though absorbing a new commandment, then he shook it off and turned about, smiling, almost skipping like a little boy as he headed out the gates, intending to take the rest of the day off.

Oblivious to these dealings, Kasumi went in search of a recipe for raw blood that she might mix up into a drink of some less disturbing nature, and all the while failing to catch the faintly amused smile of a young girl who sat perched upon the branch of a nearby tree, watching these proceedings with no small measure of personal interest.

"How interesting," she mused, "So that is Tendo Kasumi. And the one over there is unquestionably the Slayer. Daywalker and Slayer side-by-side…who would imagine…?"

Almost reflexively the young girl glanced at the space to her right side as if expecting someone to be there, but when she belatedly remembered the reason for the absence of her Shinma partner, at which she glared faintly, her eyes turning crimson with interested speculation.

"Larva," she murmured softly, and whether she meant the name as either an entreaty or a curse was an unvoiced question best left unanswered for the present. Instead she turned her attention to another denizen of the night, who was presently engaged in her own form of surveillance, at which point Miyu smiled a bit, reckoning the Loire to be-at worst-a harmless amateur, unable to either see or hear the Princess of their kind while she was seated beneath her very nose…and in a quite literal sense at that…

"Keep an eye on things, he says," Lenore snorted, "Easy for him to say, he was built for this kind of nonsense. Me, I'm just a punk kid with an overbite problem, and to top it off there's a damned Slayer in the neighborhood, oh joy..."

Her surveillance of the Tendo property had so far yielded nothing of any great significance. Sitting in the branch of a nearby tree overlooking the gardens gave her a clear view of the Tendo estate, but short of bugging the place she could not know much about what went on inside directly, other than to trace the heat patterns of the various Breathers in residence. So far activities had been light and uneventful, even with the bright beacon of Kasumi's life aura standing out against the background, causing Lenore to wince a little as she could still feel the glamour cast by the young woman's presence gnawing at her like a constant thrum that made her feel compelled to bow and offer her allegiance. Being an independent sort by nature, though, she was able to resist this pull, but just barely.

"I gotta be out of my mind for doing this," she softly complained as she pulled her collar up a bit higher as the rays of the sun were beating down at a different angle, adding to her general sense of discomfort, "His nibs had better cough up hazard pay for the sort of risks I'm taking. No sign of her Majesty, though, so at least that's something. Princess sure went light on me considering her hairy rep, and I just hope I'm not being set up for something really nasty."

She spoke thus aloud largely to calm herself down, though some of her friends might tend to refer to it as her Jewish heritage coming to the fore, that natural tendency to vetch and complain when life threw one too many curveballs. As if being a perpetually teenaged vamp were not burden enough to carry, she had to go and live up to an ethnic stereotype of a different vein, though she readily would have scoffed had anyone ever termed her a Jewish "Princess," having come from fairly common stock with entrenched poverty her only birthright.

"Yeah," she snorted aloud, "That and my Rabbi'll get me a weak brand of ginseng tea around here..."

All at once the sound of garbage cans being rattled together drew Lenore's attention away from her angst, and like a shot she turned the focus of sun-dulled senses towards a scruffy looking figure currently rifling around looking for something among the refuse. All at once surprise gave way to delight as she murmured aloud, "Well, I'll be staked..." and at once dropped down from her purchase among the trees, alighting on the sidewalk and drawing her cloak in all around her.

A quick trot brought her to the right alley, and then she pursed her lips and gave a sharp whistle. Immediately the figure rifling through the garbage looked up alertly and seemed ready to bolt until she snuffed the air a bit then perked up her ears and stood her ground, waiting for the vampire to close the distance.

"Chloe...I thought it was you!" Lenore greeted her closest and dearest friend, "But what are you doing around...WHOOFF!"

She should have known better because no sooner had Chloe placed Lenore then she pounced on the redhead and bore her to the ground, immediately licking her face and enthusiastically straddling her with the kind of happy puppy-dog greeting that one might expect had she been the four-footed variety of canine rather than a two-legged Lynchanthrope who currently in her mid-transitional state.

"Lenore, OH, I'm so happy to find you! I had such an awful time catching up with you, you would not believe what I've been through! Good thing I caught your scent on the outskirts of this city or I might have searched all over these strange islands...!"

"Hey, calm down, that tickles, Chloe!" Lenore could not help giggling like the schoolgirl she resembled, "Take it easy and let me up, will ya? I'm glad to see you too, but people in these parts don't greet each other this way and you're making a scene, Honey..."

"A scene?" Chloe sat upright on Lenore's middle, "You mean like in a human play?"

"Ah...something like that," Lenore smiled up at her russet-furred girlfriend and then pulled out a kerchief to wipe her face clean of saliva, "Mind getting up, Hon? No offense to you, but you're kinda heavy when you're doing Lon Chaney impressions."

"Oh?" Chloe asked alertly, but like any dutiful canine she got up off of Lenore and allowed the Vampire to sit upright again, pulling her hood back down to avoid too much sun exposure. Chloe tilted her head at an angle and studied her best friend curiously, then rose to her feet as Lenore did likewise and shifted her appearance to something more closely resembling a normal human, "This better?"

"Close enough," Lenore replied, envying the fact that the werewolf's powers could function normally in full daylight, a product of the Gypsy-girl's tribal heritage since all of her people had the same abilities, and Chloe had been born knowing how to shapeshift, a trick that Lenore still had yet to fully master.

"Now," Lenore tried once again, more calmly, "What are you doing here, Honey? Not that I'm sorry to see you, of course, but when I saw you last in LA..."

"It wasn't easy coming after you," Chloe replied, "But I got so lonely without you around, so I trailed you to the airport and snuck on board a plane, just like you did."

"But I thought you were afraid of flying?" Lenore asked with a surprised expression.

"I am," Chloe replied, "But I'm more afraid of not being around you. You're a member of my pack and the closest thing to family away from the rest of my tribe. Besides, you might need me, and from the way you talked it sounded like you were doing something dangerous..."

"Ah...well...dangerous is a pretty broad term," Lenore temporized, "But I suppose you could say..."

She paused as a faint whiff of something off assaulted her nostrils (or at least, odder than the smell of the nearby garbage), then noticed that Chloe was having a very strong, similar reaction, the Werewolf's sense of smell being considerably more acute even than that of a vampire at night, let alone by daylight hours.

"You get that, Hon?" she asked.

"Yes," Chloe replied, "Like parsimons dipped in battery acid...nasty smell," she wrinkled her nostrils and the fur on her head stood on end, then she pointed with a clawed finger and said, "It's coming from that direction."

Lenore turned to see a shadowy form flitting down the darkened portions of the alley and almost freaked. With some effort she got control over her reactions, managing to calm down enough to realize that the figure was not headed in their direction.

"Lamia," she murmured softly, "And if I'm not mistaken it's no less than Larva himself, the errand boy for the Princess."

"Princess who?" Chloe naturally had to ask.

"Ah...let's just say she runs this whole neighborhood and leave it at that," Lenore replied, "Wonder what he's doing here? And where's Miyu? He rarely slinks off anywhere without her approval."

"We follow then?" Chloe asked brightly.

"Might be a good idea," Lenore said, "But not too closely. Lamia are dangerous, and this character is as dangerous as they come, so let's stay downwind for now, shall we?"

"Makes good sense, sounds like fun," Chloe said brightly, as chipper as any hound who smelled fresh game, and just as eager to trot along at the side of her companion looking for new adventures.

Lenore resisted the impulse to pat the other girl on the head, though she was glad that she remembered to carry a dog biscuit and passed it from her pocket over to Chloe, who was all too happy to take it and begin chewing on her favorite flavor. Knowing it would keep her content for a while, Lenore took the lead and followed after the hooded and mysterious Larva, wondering what was going on behind the mask that the demon Shinma Prince perpetually wore, but sensing in her guts that she was not going to like this, especially as her instincts informed her that the man-like creature was up to mischief of a kind that might not entirely meet with the approval of his Mistress.

Sure enough, they had only gone for a little over a couple of blocks before they saw Larva pause in a shadowy corner and hover there for an indeterminately long moment. Lenore strained her senses and waited with Chloe in the concealment of some refuse until they caught sight of a pale face showing forth from the shadows, at which point the redheaded Vampire hissed, "Nosferatu."

"Really?" Chloe sniffed the air then winced, "Ew...doesn't smell as nice as you do..."

"That's 'cause he's an entirely different tribe than me," Lenore growled softly, "Almost an entirely different sub-species. Loire Vamps like me are still pretty much human for all that we don't breathe like regular mortals, but Nosferatu...they're more like animals, nasty buggers who more closely fit the stereotype of what all Vamps are supposed to be like, little better than walking corpses animated by a demonic presence."

"Smells more like something that ought to have stayed buried," Chloe wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"Couldn't agree with you more on that one, Pet," Lenore replied before sniffing, "Nine'll get you ten he's one of Dimitri's Ghouls, sent to do his bidding by day while he rests up for the night. Guess he's not done with the Tendos just yet after all, which is very, very bad. No wonder Frank wanted me to do surveillance...with Dimitri on the prowl all bets are off, and I'd almost wager my immortal soul that he's still after Kasumi. Probably can't stand the fact that she broke free of his control or something..."

"So what are we going to do?" Chloe asked.

"What else can we do?" Lenore replied, "Report in and hope the big honcho sends some rough riders out here who can give Dimitri a rough time. We're sure not tough enough to do the job by ourselves, and playing in the big leagues is more Frank's thing than mine. Of course if we had more of the old gang together it might be a different story, but with Leona out training with her mentor and the rest scattered to the four winds...well...it's just you and me for now, Wolf-girl, and I say we stick to the sidelines until further notice."

"Something I don't understand," Chloe remarked, "If this Larva guy's a servant to the local Vamp, does that mean they've got an alliance going down in this territory?"

"I seriously doubt that," Lenore replied, "Princess Miyu hates Dimitri about as much as any other Darkstalker hereabouts. At best they might have a temporary truce going, but that would only last until one or both of them figured a way of double-crossing the other. Best way I can figure it is that Miyu's got her own game going and wants to lay down some ground rules...or..."

"Or maybe ghost-boy there is pulling his own scam?" Chloe hazarded to guess, following the trail of logic laid down by her undead girlfriend.

"God, I sure hope not!" Lenore shuddered, "Lamia are notoriously untrustworthy and unpredictable, but Larva's been in Miyu's service for decades. If he decides to turn on his Mistress...it would be pretty bad, believe me!"

"Then maybe local muckity-muck don't know what's going on behind her back?" Chloe reasoned.

"Could be," Lenore murmured softly, "Be worth finding out either way, and maybe this info's worth trading for something important. It all depends on what happens next, but with Miyu and Dimitri in the picture it's a sure bet something heavy's about to go down in the district of Nerima..."

Kasumi stood fidgeting in the kitchen staring at the meal she had been in the process of preparing while glancing periodically at the angle of the sun as though measuring the time it would take between now and official sunset. In her mind she replayed her conversation with Lenore over and over, trying to get a grasp over the essential fact that she was-at least technically-no longer an ordinary human woman. In simplest terms it was not that easy a concept to get used to.

In actuality she felt quite fine...better than fine, in point of fact, she felt quite extraordinary, as robust a picture of health as she could ever imagine having been, and not at all like a walking corpse warmed over. Lenore had kept on insisting that Kasumi was very different from an ordinary drinker of blood, referring to her as a "Daywalker," and repeatedly the gaijin vampire had stressed that Kasumi was very much alive, just cursed with Vampirism of a moderated form that left her in full possession of her wits rather than some murderous beast like...

Dimitri.

Merely thinking his name aloud caused a curious trembling sensation up and down her spine, like someone proverbially walking over her grave. Her memories of their encounter were somewhat blurry, and she could only dimly recall the incident when the renegade Vampire lord had leaned over her, smiling like a fiend, and then he proceeded to place one long claw-like hand up to the wrist of his other hand, and then he cut a vein and caused the blood to flow, which same he fed to her, compelling Kasumi to drink it.

She recalled acting mechanically as she obeyed the vampire's influence, acting as though she had no volition or free will as she held his massive hand between her own slender fingers and began to drink his dark vital essence, the almost blue-black bile that passed for his blood, which had tasted so bitter and sour that it could hardly have been blood at all…and yet in some strange way it had caused the magic to happen, the transformation that felt as though she were dying and being reborn a changeling. Far worse than any cramping, and yet which had lasted for little more than a mere few minutes.

Kasumi then also recalled a very different kind of sensation where the vampire lord had bent down over her, his huge frame brought to bear even as he continued to use influence against any reluctance on her part in doing his bidding.

And then another memory returned to her, as did the sharp impression of Dimitri looming over her, of the press of his hot lips against her neck, the kiss that was both sweet and painful that caused a warm languor to flow throughout her system, and then a feeling not unlike dying and being reborn...or rather...re-awakened, because that was what it felt like to her, having all of her senses grow sharply acute to the point where she could detect the faintest sounds and see with perfect clarity in the dead of night, even could tell whether an object was warm or cold by its heat signature, and this also allowed her to discern the warm imprint of living things when contrasted with the undead minions who also did Dimitri's bidding. For a time she even felt as though Dimitri were in her thoughts telling her what to do, and she had seen nothing wrong with complying with his instructions, even though it momentarily had put her at odds with her friends, family and loved ones. It was almost as though Dimitri Maximoff had made her into an extension of his own nature, and it was only when confronted by the changes wrought in her that Kasumi had managed to snap out from his influence and do the right thing by siding with the good guys...

And yet still it was disturbing to recall how she had been so willing to serve the likes of that Vampire, even to the point where she had bitten Ukyo on the neck and taken a sample of her blood into her mouth...no, wait a moment. That could not be right. Ukyo was never bitten...unless she was the Ukyo of that other world that Kasumi had so briefly visited. How confusing to think that there was some other world where she and not Nabiki had gone on that ten year training mission, and that a version of herself on that world had become the heir to the Anything Goes Ryu. Kasumi was most decidedly NOT a violent person, so she could hardly imagine herself as a trained martial artist...not since she gave up her studies in the art to help Auntie Nodoka after her mother got sick and passed away. For that matter she could not imagine biting a person and drinking their blood either, but obviously she had done so at least once, which was why she was still stuck with her Vampirism even after that nice Donovan fellow had sought to cure her...

"Kasumi?" a gentle voice asked, disturbing her from her confused moment of disoriented reflection.

"Yes Auntie?" Kasumi turned to regard Nodoka, who had just arrived back from shopping to find Kasumi sipping some manner of liquid that had an oddly brown coloration.

"Are you feeling all right, dear child?" Nodoka asked, "You've seemed a bit pale lately and I was wondering if you might have come down with something, which if you had you ought to see Doctor Tofu…"

"He was just here," Kasumi replied, pausing to finish off the contents of her glass, at which point she did appear to regain a bit of color around her cheeks, and her nominally brown eyes gleamed faintly crimson for the next several minutes.

"Dear?" Nodoka asked inquiringly, "Oh my, what is that you are drinking?"

"Doctor's prescription," Kasumi answered, though this was partially an untruth since the one who had given her the formula for the drink was none other than Beatrice Daitokuji, "It's for my…condition… and I do feel a lot better now, Auntie."

In truth Kasumi felt more than fine, as though she had just consumed some manner of energy drink that had restored some much-needed potency to her circulation. The animal blood was sustaining her as intended, even granted that she somehow could discern that it was the blood of a cow and decidedly not human. Mixed with vegetable and other mineral formula it actually had an almost pleasant flavor, not at all as disturbing as real blood should be since she was not the sort of person who could take pleasure in the suffering that such animals inevitably underwent when being slaughtered…

She almost dropped her glass as she belatedly realized that she had discovered yet another ability that went with her vampirism. Somehow she could feel the vitality in the blood, which had not completely faded, and through that discern a great deal about the nature of the creature to which it had once belonged. She could briefly sense what it had been liked for the animal, who had been raised on a farm and spent most of its life chewing the cud of grass with no thought at all as to where it was eventually headed…

Kasumi was startled to hear Nodoka addressing her once again, and she turned to see her beloved surrogate Aunt gazing back with a politely inquiring stare, the older woman giving her with a kindly expression that put the younger girl somewhat at ease…even though she was still deeply troubled by her reflections.

"Are you all right, Child?" Nodoka asked gently, "You seem a million miles away, and you've not even started to make dinner."

"Oh...I'm so sorry," Kasumi glanced down at the other ingredients awaiting her attention and set down her emptied glass in order to turn her attention to the task of making dinner, hoping to lose herself in the familiar art of meal preparation, "It's just that...I had a visitor today, a very nice young girl, if a bit...odd for an American..."

"So I had heard from Natsume," Nodoka nodded, "It's nice to see you making friends again after so much time away from school. Goodness me, was it only two years ago that you graduated from high school? Whatever became of those plans we had for you to go to medical school?"

"I'm sorry, Auntie," Kasumi smiled gently, "The money was very tight that year, so we decided to put things off so that I could study on my own time some of the books I've borrowed from Tofu-sensei. I guess, what with everything else that's happened, I quite forgot about going to college..."

"You were always a good student, child," Nodoka beamed proudly, "Your mother would be so proud of you, as I am, seeing you go on to learn a profession of your own. No sense in you following in our footsteps, not unless you plan to marry in the near future."

"Auntie," Kasumi blushed, "There's still plenty of time for that, and I'm not in any great hurry to get a boyfriend."

"Oh no?" Nodoka gave the younger woman a wry appraisal, "Not even that nice Doctor Tofu?"

"Doctor Tofu?" Kasumi looked blankly at her elder, "Why would you ask about him?"

"Oh, no reason," Nodoka said with an enigmatic smile, "Other than the fact that he clearly likes you a great deal. You mean to say you've never noticed?"

"Noticed?" Kasumi blinked, then thought a moment upon the matter before saying, "Oh my..."

Nodoka studied her adopted niece for a few seconds before saying, "You don't need to keep anything from me, Kasumi-chan. I happen to know that there is someone whom you like a great deal...so much, in point of fact, that the mere mention of his name can send you into girlish blushing and make you forget that any other men exit on the planet, excluding only your father."

"Oh?" Kasumi said with a more cautious expression, "And who is that?"

"Your brother," Nodoka replied, "Kaneda."

"But I don...Kaneda-kun?" Kasumi gave a mildly confused, then quite guilty expression, blushing fiercely as she glanced down and said, "He's...not really my brother, but...oh my..."

"I understand how confusing it must be for you, Child," Nodoka said sympathetically, "And I know we've talked before about your little habit of splashing water on your sister to trigger her curse, which even you must admit happens a bit too often for you to pretend that it's all been by accident..."

"No," Kasumi looked away, "It's not by accident...but...Auntie..."

"It must be terribly confusing for you to have such feelings for your own sister when she is in her cursed form," Nodoka gently remarked, "But you need not feel so terribly bad about it, for I, too, have felt the pull of her charm and charisma when she manifests in what you young people call a Bo-hunk. I may be older than you, but I'm still quite human..." she added with a rueful expression, not wanting to add how Nabiki's cursed form measured up when contrasted with Nodoka's own husband, Genma.

"I had thought...once she and Ranma-kun were married...that these feelings might at long last go away," Kasumi confessed, "Instead I find myself thinking of Kaneda almost constantly, as if he were a different person, someone only attached to Nabiki by mischance. I know Kaneda... Nabiki, is married to Shampoo, and they have a lovely daughter together, but I find that I still desire him even though I think Shampoo is a wonderful person and I'd never try to hurt her. The same goes for Ranma-kun, who's always been like a little brother to me..."

"You have always been the responsible one among Soun's children," Nodoka remarked, "Thinking more about others than you do for yourself, and the other children have always looked up to you with the greatest respect...Akane in particular. You're like a heroine in her eyes, and while you two are as different as night is from day, you've always been there for one another, and so has Nabiki...when she's at home, that is," Nodoka gave a pleasant smile of her own, "By now I quite imagine that my manly son is working hard to satisfy her and his other wives. I hope very soon to be a grandmother in my own right, once Ukyo and Perfume have their daughter together, then maybe my son will get very, very lucky."

"I do hope that this is the case, Auntie Nodoka," Kasumi said sincerely, "Because I wish them all the best in their marriage. I...I just wish I could feel as good about the fact that Nabiki is married to them and not..." she paused as though realizing what she was about to admit to and then softly went, "Oh my..."

"As I said," Nodoka nodded sagely, "I understand you far better than you think I do, child. I cannot say that it is natural for you to have these feelings towards your own sister, and incest does not sit well with this family's reputation. Nonetheless, I am proud of you for the way you have conducted yourself throughout this whole affair, and what with the ordeal you underwent a month ago with that Dimitri creature..."

"Yes, a rather unpleasant fellow him," a new voice intruded upon their conversation, "But still you shouldn't judge all eggs by the one bad egg in the bushel."

"Eh?" Kasumi and Nodoka chorused as they turned heads to see a young girl sitting on the edge of the counter by the kitchen sink with legs crossed together, young enough to be in middle school and with dark hair braided in a curious weave, softly regarding them both with ruby eyes full of much older wisdom than was met with appearance.

"Sorry if I startled you," the newcomer remarked, "But I noticed that you both were alone and it seemed the right time to let myself in. I thought this was a good time for us to get better acquainted you and I, if you have no real objections."

"Oh my," Kasumi said as she sensed a powerful aura surrounding this girl, a bit like Lenore's but so intense that it made the redheaded vampire seem like a mere firecracker when compared to a lit stick of dynamite just waiting to go off.

"Who are you?" Nodoka naturally wondered.

In response to this the girl lifted a hand and said, "Sleep."

And just like that Nodoka shut her eyes and fell to the floor in a swoon, like a marionette whose strings had just been cut.

"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed again as she stared at the recumbent form at her feet, "Auntie?"

"She will be all right," the dark haired girl responded, "But what I would say to you is not for the ears of mere mortals. Better far to give your aunt some pleasant dreams rather than expose her to the nightmares of the dark side. By the way, the name is Miyu...but you can call me...Princess..."

Continued

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